The victory of the Syrian Arab Army in the central region of Qusseir has dealt a harsh blow to rebel groups that are trying to overthrow the government since the government’s triumph has cut one of the main routes for soldiers and war supplies arriving from abroad.

Armed opposition groups, mainly radical Islamists and of the al-Nusra Front, linked to Al Qaeda, had taken over the city and neighboring areas bordering Lebanon some months ago.

Although Damascus repeatedly denounced the forced flight of tens of thousands of inhabitants due to the violence of the so-called rebels, who even used civilians as human shields, a portion of the international community averted its eyes from that situation.

However, when the offensive and siege against Qusseir began a few weeks ago, international figures and media started showing their concern and attacked authorities for alleged genocide and for preventing Red Cross access to rescue those injured.

The permanent Syrian Ambassador to the U.N. Council of Human Rights, Faisal al-Hamwi, accused that group of recent maneuvers aimed at blaming the government through reports he described as partial, excessive and politically manipulated.

Regarding the importance of recapturing Qusseir, a source from the military command who preferred to remain anonymous told Prensa Latina on Wednesday that this is a strategic triumph that allows the Armed Forces to extend its control over the center of the country and begin liberating the northern areas of Aleppo, Idleb and Hama.

The zone was within the rebel controlled area and located near the Tripoli port, from where many foreign sourced shipments of war materiel arrived.

The source stressed that nearly 800 people had deserted the opposition in a single day.

During the actions, nearly 930 terrorists died, including more than 300 from different Arab nations while those from other countries were arrested and 1,500 were injured, the source noted.

The army seized large amounts of missiles, C-4 explosives, grenades, machine guns, mortars, munitions, maps, computers and other equipment, while groups of sappers neutralized dozens of explosives placed in houses and roads, as shown on local television.

Victory in al-Qseir Sends Clear Message to All Those Involved in Aggression against Syria
Jun 06, 2013

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Our armed forces succeeded early Wednesday to restore security and stability to the city of al-Qseir and clear it of the terrorists, the General Command of the Army and the Armed Forces said in a statement Wednesday.

The statement clarified that the army seized full control of al-Qseir after “a series of accurate successful operations carried out in the city and the villages and towns surrounding it.”

It added that the operations resulted in the killing of a large number of terrorists, the surrender of some others and the escape of the rest, noting that army units are now continuing to unlock roads, dismantle mines and remove barricades.

“The victory that was achieved at the hands of our brave soldiers sends a clear message to all those who are involved in the aggression against Syria, on top being the Zionist enemy and its agents in the region and tools on the ground,” the statement said.

“Our armed forces will remain ready to face any aggression against our dear homeland,” the General Command stressed.

“While affirming that their battle against terrorism will continue until restoring security and stability to each and every inch of the homeland, our armed forces stress at the same time that they will look with a merciful eye at those mislead gunmen who surrender and drop their weapons, whether those who fled al-Qseir or any area in Syria,” it added.

The General Command called upon the residents of al-Qseir to return to their homes and properties within days, stressing that “those whom the gunmen had used as human shields were all evacuated, with the injured being now treated.”

“Following their successive victories in the battle against organized and systematic terrorism, our armed forces stress that they will not hesitate to strike the gunmen wherever they are on any inch on Syria’s land,” the statement said.

“The homeland’s soil is sacred and can’t be desecrated, and whoever tries to desecrate it will end up either dead or surrendering,” it added.

The General Command indicated that the documents which have been gained and which prove the involvement of some Arab, regional and foreign parties in terrorism in Syria are now under scrutiny and will be made public at the right time.

The General Command concluded its statement by expressing the Syrian Arab Army’s thanks to “the proud Syrian people for always standing by their army morally and for their embracement and support.”

The army, the statement continued, “promises that it will always be up to the challenge and at the same level of steadfastness until achieving victory God willing.”

HOMS,(SANA) – A few days ago, the citizens of al-Qseir city were complaining of the terrorists’ acts in the city of looting, sabotaging and targeting citizens, contrary to nowadays where the Syrian flag is fluttering in the middle of the city, thanks to the Syrian army.

Having restored the security and stability to al-Qseir by the Syrian army, the Syrian citizens gathered in the main squire in the city to return to their houses and participate in rebuilding and cleaning the city.

Secretary of the al-Baath Arab Socialist Party in Homs Subhhi Harb paid a visit to the city and stressed that Syria’s enemies attempt to weaken it and keep it away from the resistance, hailing the achievements of the Syrian army in al-Qseir.

For his part, Governor of Homs Ahmad Munier Mohammad visited the city accompanied with the directors of the service departments in the province to put plans for rehabilitating all sectors sabotaged by the terrorists.

The citizens stressed that they paid the price of some misled people in the city, voicing their regret over the sabotage in the city and thanking Syrian army for cleaning it from the terrorists.

B. Mousa / Mazen

Lavrov: International Players Can’t Decide on behalf of the Syrians
Jun 06, 2013

KALININGRAD, (SANA)- Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, stressed that the international players cannot make decisions on behalf of the Syrian people, saying the task of those players is to influence the parties into participating in the international conference on Syria.

“The situation in Syria raises everybody’s concern and negatively affects the whole region,” Lavrov told a press conference following a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in the Russian region of Kaliningrad.

He warned of the aggravating differences and the dangerous operations taking place in the neighboring countries and those which witnessed the so-called ‘Arab Spring’.

He stressed the need that the international community determine its position on whether to support those seeking to use force for regime change notwithstanding the civilian victims or those who insist on the peaceful solution.

Lavrov reiterated Russia’s firm stance on solving the crisis in Syria peacefully, “which is why we presented the initiative to hold an international conference on Syria in Geneva and worked hard to get to implement the Geneva communiqué agreed upon in June of last year.”

He pointed out that the international conference cannot be quickly held “given the acute nature of differences and contradictions which accumulated in the Syrian society.”

“The ongoing talk now is on the need for the participation of the government and representatives of the opposition in the negotiations and this is essential, but there are some opposition forces that don’t want to take part in the conference and believe that it wouldn’t help in solving the crisis,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

He noted that the National Coordination Body wants to participate independently in the conference and that the Kurdish Council wants to participate as an organization.

“All the parties concerned should be given the opportunity to take part in this conference, which is very important to reach a compromise and secure stability in the region,” said Lavrov.

He highlighted that the main task of Geneva communiqué is to secure the forming of a transitional commission on the basis of agreement between the government and the opposition, noting that Wednesday’s tripartite meeting between Russia, the US and the UN focused on these issues.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the tripartite meeting which took place Wednesday between Russia, the US and the UN in Geneva is considered an advanced step in the preparations to hold an international conference on Syria.

“The ongoing contacts will be dedicated to that issue in the next stage in order to reach a final agreement on the general concepts for the international conference on Syria,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website on Thursday.

The statement pointed out that it is originally scheduled that the tripartite meeting will be resumed on June 25th in Geneva.

The Ministry noted that yesterday’s meeting focused on the need for appropriate representation in the international conference for all the blocs of the Syrian opposition and not just those which enjoy foreign support.

It clarified that the Russian side stressed during the meeting the importance of the participation of the neighboring countries of Syria and other influential regional sides like Iran that could make a significant contribution to the efforts to solve the crisis in Syria.

The statement said that the participants agreed that the main goal of the conference is to launch a dialogue between the Syrians to reach the point of fully implementing the Geneva Communiqué on June 30th of last year.

It added that the participants also highlighted the importance that the Syrians themselves shape the solutions regarding building the future of their country in the framework of the political process with all forms of support from the foreign sides.

A Russia-US-UN meeting was held Wednesday in the context of preparations for holding the international conference on Syria which was agreed on by the Russian and U.S. foreign ministers during the latter’s visit to Moscow last month with the aim to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich said that the armed terrorist groups in al-Qseir area in Homs had used the area as a conduit for smuggling weapons and the infiltration of foreign mercenaries, adding that they carried out ”sectarian cleansing” there.

Lukashevich said in a statement on Wednesday that restoring security and stability to al-Qseir is a ”clear military success,” adding that ”no one should harbor illusions that Syria’s problems can be solved by the use of force.”

”Settling the crisis in Syria is only possible through peaceful political means, i.e. through dialogue among the Syrians,” he added.

Lukashevich said that the latest developments in Syria confirm the Syrian government’s concerns regarding a possible use of chemical materials by the Syrian opposition for justifying external military intervention.

He added that Moscow shares Damascus concerns on the information that extremist groups and terrorists in Turkey, Iraq and Syria own toxic materials, devices and technologies necessary for making a chemical weapon.

The spokesman added that the information prove once again the need for responding to Syria’s request for starting an inquiry into the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian opposition in Khan Al-Assal town in Aleppo countryside on March 19.